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Monday, December 29, 2014

The past few decades have seen phenomenal growth in the number
Latin American businesses in the vicinity of Grand Ave. between E.
14th and 18th Streets. Clothiers, salons, grocers, liquors,
launderers, insurers, bakeries, and at the forefront of this
growth, brick-and-mortar restaurants and taco trucks.

Historically two restaurants dominated the neighborhood scene for
the latter half of the last century: Tasty Tacos at 1420 E.
Grand and Raul's
at 1541 E. Grand. Both predate the relatively recent influx of
Latin American immigrants; each were founded in the early sixties.
Raul's closed its doors in 2005, reopening five years later in
West Des Moines.

Tasty Tacos has gone on to become a highly successful chain, with
six locations throughout the metro. Though many people poo-poo
Tasty Tacos for its highly Americanized fare, the restaurant still
claims a loyal following. Some days, IMHO, nothing is as
satisfying as a puffy flour taco with plentiful squirts of the
house salsa, a cheese-laded enchilada, or a chili-topped burrito [see
blog post].

About the same time as Raul's closing, Los
Laureles opened its doors across the street at 1518 E. Grand. For generations
of people who grew up associating Mexican food with lightly-spiced
fare and mounds of 'yellow' cheese, Los Laureles with its
from-the-heart-of-Mexico cuisine was a revelation. It was Los
Laureles that introduced many to a more authentic taco: a simple
construct of steamed corn tortillas topped with a choice of exotic
meats, sprinkled with cilantro and chopped onion, plus lime and
radish for garnish. A choice of spicy red and green salsas further
enhanced this bold, new experience.

From
left: Los Laureles; a quartet of meats, from top left
clockwise, pastor (pork), pollo (chicken), chorizo
(sausage), and asada (beef).

Chips and salsa at Los Laureles: A dish best shared with friends… or the moderately tolerable. Plus a chorizo torta and chicken nachos.

Over time the neighborhood blossomed with Mexican grocers such as
Tienda
Mexicana at 1524 E. Grand, La
Favorita at 1700 E. Grand, and the biggest and highly
successful, La
Tapatia at 1440 Des Moines. Offering packaged goods,
produce, and meats, La Tapatia also sells a variety of prepared
items from the meat counter, pastries and breads, and snack items
such as frutas (fruit cups) and my favorite, elote con mayonesa
(corn-on-the-cob with mayonnaise, grated cheese and chile). On
occasion a taco truck or food stand will operate out in the
parking lot. One such visit yielded a tasty bacon-wrapped hot dog
with beans, onions, mayo, ketchup, mustard, and salsa verde. As
close to a Sonoran Dog [see
blog post] as I've ever eaten in these parts.

As more authentic, and not-so-authentic, Latin American
restaurants started to proliferate around the Metro, taco trucks,
also known as taco movils, soon populated the landscape. On any
given afternoon in warmer months its not uncommon to find a trio
of trucks operating on E. Grand.

The most successful of the taco trucks, Tacos
Villanueva, operates a fleet from a variety of locations
around Des Moines including a spot at 1531 E. Grand. Its not
uncommon to find a dozen or more patrons occupying the picnic
tables dotted around Tacos Villanueva's truck. The tacos offered
there are excellent along with the ubiquitous selection of red and
green salsas. Along with radish and lime, grilled onion and
jalapeño is a bonus.